1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for constructing and rehabilitating marshes and wetlands, and, more particularly, to such systems and methods that are ecologically beneficial.
2. Description of Related Art
The present inventor has previously disclosed methods for building or restoring marshes and beaches, and also for dredging waterways in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner. These methods, which are disclosed, inter alia, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,971,148; 4,240,243; 4,434,943; 4,517,754; 4,521,305; 4,575,960; 4,628,623; 4,759,664; 4,896,445; 5,167,469; and 5,211,511, which are incorporated by reference hereinto, utilize a high-pressure nozzle to spray a thin layer of slurry material over a large area. In the '148 patent, a dredge cutter head is described that is self-cleaning; in the '243 patent, satellite harvesters are used to harvest underwater aquatic growth; in the '943 patent, a pump intake cutter head is disclosed for pumping an aquatic growth slurry from a waterway or body of water; in the '754 and '960 patents, a cutterhead attachment for a dredge is described; in the '305 patent, a rotating self-cleaning screen is provided; in the '623 patent is described a turbidity control system for a dredge cutterhead; in the '664 patent, the slurry is formed of a solid material and water at a first location and pumped to a remote location for increasing the elevation of an area at the remote location; in the '445 patent, a waterway is dredged, and the dredged material is used to form a slurry that is then distributed over the adjoining area in a layer sufficiently thin to avoid negative impact on the environment; in the '469 and '511 patents, a slurry distribution system is disclosed.
Natural habitat disappearance is a persistent problem, and can be caused by a variety of damaging factors, including, but not limited to, human-caused factors and pollution. Until now, marsh and wetland restoration has been an expensive and labor-intensive process, since re-planting heretofore has been performed manually.